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al-Qasidah
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The English translation and commentary
of an Arabic poem by the Promised Messiahas,
in praise of the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa
Commentary by
Published by
Islam International Publications Ltd.
‘Islamabad’, Sheephatch Lane
Tilford, Surrey GU10 2AQ
Printed at
Raqeem Press
Islamabad, Tilford, Surrey
ISBN 978-1-84880-090-8
Contents
COUPLET 7 .............................................................................. 53
COUPLETS 8 and 9...................................................................... 57
COUPLET 10 .............................................................................. 62
COUPLET 11 .............................................................................. 66
COUPLET 12 .............................................................................. 68
COUPLET 13 .............................................................................. 71
COUPLET 14 .............................................................................. 74
COUPLET 15 .............................................................................. 75
COUPLET 16 .............................................................................. 78
COUPLET 17 .............................................................................. 79
COUPLETS 18 and 19 ................................................................. 80
COUPLET 20 .............................................................................. 84
COUPLET 21 .............................................................................. 85
COUPLET 22 .............................................................................. 86
COUPLET 23 .............................................................................. 88
COUPLET 24 .............................................................................. 88
COUPLET 25 .............................................................................. 95
COUPLET 26 .............................................................................. 95
COUPLET 27 .............................................................................. 97
COUPLET 28 ............................................................................101
COUPLET 29 ............................................................................101
COUPLET 30 ............................................................................102
COUPLET 31 ............................................................................103
COUPLET 32 ............................................................................106
COUPLET 33 ............................................................................107
COUPLET 34 ............................................................................107
COUPLET 35 ............................................................................107
COUPLET 36 ............................................................................108
COUPLET 37 ............................................................................108
Contents vii
COUPLET 70 ............................................................................196
A BEAUTIFUL FINISH ............................................................197
AN ADMISSION ........................................................................197
A FINAL WORD ........................................................................198
Other:
ai for ى (like i in site);i
au for و (resembling ou in sound)
i
In Arabic words like ( شيخShaikh) there is an element of diphthong which
is missing when the word is pronounced in Urdu.
ii
These transliterations are not included in the system of transliteration by
The Royal Asiatic Society.
Foreword
He also said:
This Qasidah has been accepted by Allah, and Allah has informed
me that whoever memorises this Qasidah and repeats it
constantly, such a person’s heart would be granted a deep love for
me and for Prophet Muhammadsa and I will reward him with
nearness to me.
iii
A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 590
Foreword xv
Munir-ud-Din Shams
Additional Wakilut-Tasnif, London
28 May 2013
INTRODUCTION
1
۔
2
ہ
ہ ۔
,-./-012
34
TWO NARRATIVES
1
In the Name of Allah, the Gracious, the Merciful (Publishers)
2
We praise Allah and invoke blessings upon His Noble Messenger; and
upon his Servant, the Promised Messiah (Publishers)
3
With the Grace and Mercy of Allah (Publishers)
4
He [Allah] is the True Helper (Publishers)
5
A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 590–594
2 The commentary of al-Qasidah
6
A cycle of the formal prayer prescribed upon Muslims. (Publishers)
7
To invoke salutations upon the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa (Publishers)
4 The commentary of al-Qasidah
Now the actual text of the Qasidah with its translation follows and
its commentary thereafter.
Humbly,
Jalal-ud-Din Shams
At the house of Sheikh Karim Bakhsh Sahib,
Quetta Cantonment, Pakistan.
him, whose praise Allah has mentioned in His Own clear book. O
Allah, may Your blessings and peace be showered upon him until
the Day of Judgment. To write this Qasidah was not possible due
to my meek and humble nature, and limited intelligence; nor
could my abilities surpass in this area. I could not originate the
secrets that are embedded within this Qasidah. On the contrary,
whatever I have stated is from my Allah, Who is my Friend, and
such a Companion is He Who is with me at all times, Who
provides me food and drink, and when I make a mistake or am
misled He guides me, and when I become ill He cures me. The
literary excellence, interesting dialogue, and the fascinating and
comprehensive words in which you find uniqueness and rarity are
not a product of my own effort; but even then, Allah has given me
supremacy over the writers who are masters of the pen, and this is
a sign from my God for people of knowledge. I have expressed this
matter for the sole purpose that I may be rewarded for being
thankful, and so that I should not be counted among the
ungrateful.1
1
A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 590
The Qasidah with Translation
THE BELOVED
IN THE EYES OF THE LOVER
This is also the reason he expresses his love and affection for the
Holy Prophetsa in the same tone and manner he expresses his love
for Allah. For example, he wrote the following couplet addressing
Allah Himself:
9
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If all Thy lovers were slaughtered,
I would be the first to proclaim the slogan of Thy love.
(A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 658)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 27
desire of love in the following couplet:
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I am looking at the face of my beloved.
If anyone should give him his heart, I would offer him
my life.
(Siraj-e-Munir, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 12, p. 97)
28 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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O my beloved, I have come to know of your infinite
beauties.
If others are simply your servants, I am prepared to
offer you my life.
(A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 26)
In the above couplets the Promised Messiahas testifies that his love
embraces the forefront of all others who claim to love his beloved,
the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa.
Due to his extreme love the Promised Messiahas could not tolerate
hearing a single word against the honour of his beloved. This would
deeply offend his heart and soul. His following expression was
written in relation to the absurdity and effrontery undertaken
against the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa by the blind and belligerent
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The commentary of al-Qasidah 29
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INTENSITY OF LOVE
Since the time I had seen the light of the Holy Prophet
Muhammadsa, my love for him has intensified within my heart as
the rage of a waterfall. O my friends, move away from me [i.e. take
caution] for my burning love for the Holy Prophetsa streaks
through my breath like lightning.
(A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 27)
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This is not the person of ‘Abdul-Qadir, but is of my ancestor,
Muhammad Mustafa, may peace and blessings of Allah be upon
him.
(Tajul-Auliya’, published in Egypt, p. 35 and Manaqibi
Guldasta-e-Karamat, printed at Iftikhar Press, Delhi)
32 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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The commentary of al-Qasidah 33
My face has absorbed into his face and you can smell his fragrance
from my home and the street whereupon I live. I am lost in his
love. In reality I am him, I am him, I am him. My soul is nourished
from his soul and the same sun has risen from my person. Ahmad
[i.e. Muhammadsa] has appeared in the body of Ahmad [i.e. the
Promised Messiahas] and therefore, I was given the same name
which was given to this everlasting human being.
(Siraj-e-Munir, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 12, p. 97)
EVERLASTING LIFE
In this state, when a true lover absorbs himself in the love of the
beloved, then he discovers that his life is the same as that of his
9 ; <
beloved, as quoted in this verse:
Such a love establishes itself forever and liberates itself from any
kind of death. The writer of the Qasidah, the founder of the
34 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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COUPLET 1
The first couplet of this Qasidah reveals the perfect love of the
Promised Messiahas for his beloved. Most poets begin their qasidahs
by describing the physical attributes of their loved ones. They
illustrate the prominent qualities or attributes, which remind them
of their beloved and the intensity of their love. For example, the
first couplet of the Qasidah Mimiyyah written by Imra’ul-Qais is as
follows:
36 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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O Imra’ul-Qais, pause for a while in these towns where
the beloved used to live,
which have not been destroyed, but the winds and rain
has changed their condition.
(Qasidatu Banat Su‘ad li-Ka‘b bin Zuhair, Maqbul-e-‘Am Press, Lahore,
1941 edition.)
In the same way Ka‘b bin Zuhair wrote his Qasidah in praise of the
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa which is known by the name Banat
Su‘ad. In this Qasidah he first talks about his separation from Su‘ad.
His physical beauty, his travels and the qualities of his mount are
described, subsequent to which he praises the Holy Prophetsa.
Again ‘Allamah Muhammad Al-Busairi starts his famous
Qasidah with the following couplets:
Are you crying with tears, which have mixed with blood, in the
memory of the neighbours of Dhi-Salam (i.e. the people of
Medina), or have you been reminded of your beloved by the wind
The commentary of al-Qasidah 37
1
This means that those nations which were given heavenly books
had become misguided, and those who had not received any
divine book, and were like a desolate jungle, had also become
misguided. So true is this account that every country’s history
bears witness to it.
(Chashma-e-Ma‘rifat, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 23, p. 379)
1
Corruption has appeared on land and sea. (ar-Rum, 30:42)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 39
...but many of them are rebellious. (al-Hadid, 57:28)
The people that declared themselves the sons and lovers of God
became like apes imitating the sinful, and their morality
deteriorated in the likeness of swine, shamelessly pursuing their
40 The commentary of al-Qasidah
worldly desires.2 This was the state of religious leaders. As far as the
general public was concerned, they worshipped and obeyed those
who disobeyed God and trespassed over His boundaries.
Spirituality disappeared altogether. The contemporary religions
failed to demonstrate any evidence of a living relationship with
God. All fountains of spirituality had dried up. It was under these
circumstances that God sent the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa and
announced:
۔.....
۔
This means that the spiritually dead nation of Arabia would get life
from this water. Then Allah went on to say that He would provide
this water to such nations as are living the life of animals, and in the
same manner, He would provide it to those people who were
devoid of civilization and culture. This water would bestow upon
them the knowledge of God, and create a spiritual revolution in
their lives by developing a relationship with their Everlasting God.
Thus, by following the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, various people
2
...of whom He has made apes and swine and who worship the Evil One
(al-Ma’idah 5:61)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 41
۠ؕ۔
And whoso obeys Allah and this Messenger (of His) shall
be among those on whom Allah has bestowed His
blessings, namely, the prophets, the truthful, the martyrs,
and the righteous. And excellent companions are these.
(an-Nisa’ , 4:70)
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Love demands the beloved to converse with the lover.
Inquire from the one who knows the secrets of this love.
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 3, Footnote 11,
Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 172)
Since the Holy Prophetsa is unrivalled in his love for Allah and he
maintains the knowledge of the secrets of this love, he has no match
The commentary of al-Qasidah 43
۠
If you love Allah, follow me, then Allah will love you and
forgive you your faults.’ And Allah is Most Forgiving,
Merciful. (Al-e-‘Imran, 3:32)
This verse addresses such people who claim to love Allah. If they are
truthful in their claim and sincerely desire to meet their Lord, then
they should follow the Holy Prophetsa. He will take them to Allah
and the result of this nearness and union will be Allah’s
reciprocated love.
At another place Allah says:
And when My servants ask you about Me (say): ‘I am near.
I answer the prayer of the supplicant when he prays to
Me’. (al-Baqarah, 2:187)
The above verses make it obvious that the only door open to Allah
is through the Holy Prophetsa. All other spiritual fountains have
dried. However, one spring is still flourishing and will never suffer
depletion. It is the fountain of the Holy Prophetsa. There exists no
other method or means of achieving spiritual heights and blessings
from Allah. The Promised Messiahas, the writer of this Qasidah,
44 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 2
COUPLET 3
In this couplet the blessings of the Holy Prophetsa are likened to the
sun. The sun indiscriminately showers its rays of light upon both,
the uninhabited areas such as the jungles and deserts, and the
densely populated cities and villages, except upon those who put a
curtain between themselves and the sun. In the same manner the
Holy Prophetsa is the sun of spiritual knowledge and his light is a
blessing for people of all religions, excluding those who isolate
themselves from this sun, or are blind in their hearts. The Holy
Qur’an states that whom Allah gives no light, for him there is no
light at all. (an-Nur, 24:41)
At another place the Promised Messiahas describes the beauty
and benevolence of the Holy Prophetsa in the following Persian
couplet:
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46 The commentary of al-Qasidah
LMNÞOPñÜQPñÞRPñS%
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writes about the true followers of the Holy Prophetsa:
The same drink, which was given to Moses, Jesus and other
prophets, has been enjoyed by numerous followers of the Holy
Prophetsa in elegance and abundance. Some are even enjoying it
today. The light of the Israelite prophets burns bright within
them. They have attained the same blessings that were given to the
Children of Jacob. Holy is Allah, then again, Holy is Allah! How
eminent a status is that of the Holy Prophetsa and how great is
The commentary of al-Qasidah 47
that light! People who are his servants, his lowly followers, can
achieve the high status just mentioned.
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Part 3, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 272,
footnote no.11)
h q DË#ji _ ¦k 9 5l
5³ r pq H m n& o H
My beloved blows the Holy Spirit into me every
moment of my life,
And I cannot say anything but that I have become the
second Jesus.
(Kulliyat-e-Mathnawi, Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Rumi, vol.4, p. 29, Qasidah
Mithl-e-Qani‘ Shudan Admi, Printed by Intisharat Kitabchai, Tehran)
I xhÜyðMLso"%:"#t
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48 The commentary of al-Qasidah
He is Jesus. The dead who were given life by Jesus died spiritually
again, but to rejoice because those who devoted themselves to this
Jesus (i.e. Maulana Rumi) would live forever.
(Kulliyat-e-Mathnawi, Maulana Jalal-ud-Din Rumi, vol. 4, p. 29, Qasidah
Mithl-e-Qani‘ Shudan Admi, Printed by Intisharat Kitabchai, Tehran)
COUPLET 4
The question arises here that if the Holy Prophetsa is the sun of the
spiritual world, then why were nations before and after his advent
deprived of his light. The answer to this question is presented in
this couplet by describing that the blessings of the Holy Prophetsa
are for all ages. They were prevalent in the past in the sense that the
prophets of past nations prophesied about his advent as Allah
advised them. For example, we find that Moses prophesied in
Deuteronomy 18:18 that Allah would raise a prophet from among
the Ishmaelites who were the brethren of the Israelites like unto
them. The prophecy stated that Allah would converse with him.
Hadrat Moses was also told about the majestic station of the
Holy Prophetsa and that the final and complete shariah [law] would
be given to him. In response to this Hadrat Moses desired to see
this great miracle of Allah and he requested Allah ۡ ۡ
ۡ ۡ
(al-
A‘raf, 7:144) meaning, O my lord! Show me the same manifestation
that will be shown to the Holy Prophetsa. Allah responded by
stating that Mosesas could not bear this manifestation. The
50 The commentary of al-Qasidah
there was an earthquake that shattered the
When the manifestation unveiled itself upon the mountain,
consciousness, he praised Allah and asked for forgiveness and said:
Say, ‘Tell me, if this is from Allah and you disbelieve
therein, and a witness from among the Children of Israel
bears witness to (the advent of) one like him, and he
believed, but you are too proud, (how should you fare?)’
Verily, Allah guides not the wrongdoing people. (al-Ahqaf,
46:11)
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There is no age in which a prophet appeared,
And did not prophesy about your advent (i.e. the Holy
Prophetsa).
(Diwanul-Busairi, p. 2, Matbu‘ah Mustafa Al-Babi Al-Halabi, 1955)
…and (among) others from among them who have not yet
joined them. He is the Mighty, the Wise. (al-Jumu‘ah,
62:4)
The couplet alludes to this second advent, which was to reflect the
light of the Holy Prophetsa. This is why the Holy Prophetsa is
referred to as the full moon. The moon has no light of its own, but
simply reflects the light of the sun. As described in couplet three,
The Holy Prophet’ssa first advent resembled the sun, radiating
powerful and commanding light. During this dispensation the
Holy Prophet’ssa majestic qualities dominated. These qualities are
related to his majestic name Muhammad. However, his second
advent would emphasize the beauty, compassion and elegance of
Islam through a reformer who would appear in his image. This is
52 The commentary of al-Qasidah
the reason that this couplet illustrates the Holy Prophetsa as the full
moon, reflecting the light of the sun to people in a time of darkness.
COUPLETS 5 and 6
COUPLET 7
In a verse of the Holy Qur’an, the Arabic word diya’ has been used
as the sun and the word nur has been used for the moon as follows:
…
He it is Who has made the sun radiant (diya’ - a brilliant
light) and the moon lambent (nur—a lustrous reflector)…
(Yunus, 10:6)
The word diya’ means direct light from its source and nur only
means a reflection. The Promised Messiahas has used this point in
the couplet under discussion to describe the spiritual perfection of
the Holy Prophetsa as the sun and moon.
As in the physical world the sun is the central point, the Holy
Prophetsa is the central point in the spiritual world. Being the sun of
the spiritual world, only his light can extinguish the world’s
darkness. In his absence, spiritual darkness would be confronted by
other persons who would function like the moon and stars in his
service. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
Blessed is He Who has made constellations [of stars] in
the heaven and has placed therein a Lamp (the sun) and
Moon – both luminous. (al-Furqan, 25:62)
In Surah an-Naba’ the sun has been described as e"& ; which means
that it is the source of light and its heat can be felt at long distances.
Similarly, the Holy Qur’an describes the Holy Prophetsa in the
following verse likening him to the sun, by referring to him as a
light giving lamp:
ۙ
۔
O Prophet, truly We have sent thee as a witness, and a
bearer of glad tidings, and a warner, and as a summoner
unto Allah by His command, and as a radiant lamp (that
gives bright light.) (al-Ahzab, 33:46–47)
We find in the books of Ahadith that Allah will raise at the head of
every century a reformer who would revive the religion of Islam.3
We also find indications in the Ahadith of the coming of the
Messiah and Mahdi at the head of the fourteenth Islamic century.
3
Sunan Abi Dawud, Kitabul-Malahim, Babu Ma Yudhkaru Fi Qarnil-
Mi’ati, Hadith no. 4291
56 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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the fourteenth century, has stated in his Persian poetry:
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COUPLETS 8 and 9
In this couplet the Holy Prophetsa has been addressed as the full
moon in relation to his ability to guide humanity. The quality of
light that Allah granted him was not given to any other. That
sublime light was not bestowed upon the angels or the stars, or
upon the moon or the sun. Rubies, emeralds, sapphires and pearls
all failed at the same. In short, it was not given to anything else, be it
on the earth or in the heavens above. He reflected the Light of
Allah in perfection, and therefore, he was to Allah as the moon was
to the sun.
The Holy Prophetsa was also the reflection of Allah’s quality ar-
Rahman ( : The Gracious). Being the Gracious, Allah bestows
blessings upon His creation indiscriminately. He has provided in
the physical world the sun, moon, air, water, etc. without which
human life cannot exist. In the same manner He revealed the Holy
Qur’an to the Holy Prophetsa upon which all spiritual life is
dependant. Then the Holy Prophetsa proceeded to deliver the
Message to the people with the spirit inherent within his nature.
Allah says in the Holy Qur’an:
Say, ‘I ask not of you any reward for it, nor am I of those
who are given to affectation’. (Sad, 38:87)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 59
Say, ‘O Mankind! Truly I am a Messenger to you all from
Allah’... (al-A‘raf, 7:159)
Every hour of the twenty-three years the Holy Prophetsa lived after
his claim to prophethood stands proof of his unparalleled bravery. I
shall mention only one incident of his bravery here. In the Battle of
Hunain, the Muslim army, which consisted of 12,000 soldiers,
started retreating from the battlefront and the Holy Prophetsa was
left with only 12 people. The enemy was launching wave after wave
of arrows. At this point, Hadrat Abu Bakrra descended from his
mount and took hold of the reigns of the mule that the Holy
Prophetsa was riding and said: ‘O Prophet of Allah! Why don’t you
retreat a little until the Muslim army regroups?’
The Holy Prophetsa replied: ‘Abu Bakr, release the reigns of my
mule!’
The commentary of al-Qasidah 61
Then the Holy Prophetsa spurred his mule forward into the
narrow pass along which the enemy was shooting arrows from both
sides. In this fearful and formidable situation the Holy Prophetsa
was reciting a couplet:
COUPLET 10
4
Sahih Muslim, Kitabul-Fada’il, Babu Fi Shaja‘atin-Nabiyyi Wa
Taqaddumihi Lil-Harb, Hadith no. 5900
The commentary of al-Qasidah 63
COUPLET 11
History bears witness that the people who accepted the Holy
Prophetsa abandoned their towns, homes, and even their relatives
for the sake of the Holy Prophetsa. They gave precedence to him
over all others in every manner and circumstance. So established
was this fact that God testified to this very fact Himself, in the
Holy Qur’an where He says:
You will not find any people who believe in Allah and the
Last Day loving those who oppose Allah and His
messenger, even though they be their fathers or their sons
or their brethren or their kindred… (al-Mujadalah, 58:23)
you were within my range but I did not strike you because you were
my father.’
Hadrat Abu Bakrra immediately replied, ‘By God, if you were in
my range I would have certainly killed you and would not have
cared the least because you had come there to fight against the
Prophet of Allah.’ (Ar-Raudul-Unuf, Imam Suhaili, vol.3, p. 89–90,
Couplet of Hassan, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2004)
The second incident involves Hadrat Sa‘d bin Abi Waqqasra. He
used to take care of his mother and was very charitable towards her.
She was adamantly opposed to his acceptance of Islam. When she
realized her advice and efforts were unsuccessful, and noticed that
Sa‘d had no intention of leaving his Faith, she became desperate.
She said that she would give up eating and would not resume until
he gave up Islam, and if he did not then she would die of hunger
and the people would consider him the murderer of his mother. He
put forth his best effort to get her to eat, but she would not. On the
third day he said to her:
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At this point when she saw the determination of her son, she
started to eat again. There are numerous other incidents in history
which demonstrate the extreme love and devotion of the
companions of the Holy Prophetsa.
COUPLET 12
When people accepted Islam they not only sacrificed their personal
desires, but actually bid farewell to their own selves. They no longer
maintained any individual inclinations towards themselves. In
reality, a person becomes a true Muslim at this very stage, when one
is willing to sacrifice his life in the way of Allah, and devotes his
being for the sake of Allah, and then prostrates towards the Beloved
God with such truthfulness and devotion that nothing else exists
other than the Beloved. It is at this stage that a person’s feelings
The commentary of al-Qasidah 69
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Islam is nothing but dying for the sake of Allah,
And abandoning all one’s desires to fulfil the desires of
Allah.
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 21, p. 18)
What is Islam? It is a fire that burns our sinful life and our false
idols and presents the sacrifice of our life, wealth and honour before
the True and Sacred God. We enter into this fountain and we drink
water for a new life. All of our spiritual capacities unite with God in
a manner just as a relative is connected to another. In the likeness of
lightness, one fire comes forth from within us and another descends
from above and when these two meet they burn the love for worldly
gains and false idols, and we experience a death before our lives are
over. This is the condition, which according to the Holy Qur’an is
referred to as Islam. Islam brings death to our worldly desires and
then through prayer we are born again.
(Philosophy of the Teachings of Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 10, p. 394)
In essence, the companions of the Holy Prophetsa did not care for
their wealth or their properties, but preoccupied themselves
entirely with the practice of Islam. Once they received the
commandment to migrate, they left their homes without regard for
their relatives and worldly riches.
Hadrat Suhaibra was a rich businessman of Mecca and was
considered fairly well off. In spite of his wealth and his having been
granted freedom, the Quraish would beat him until he would fall
unconscious. When the Holy Prophetsa migrated to Medina,
Hadrat Suhaibra decided to migrate as well. However, the people of
Mecca stopped him and told him that he could not take his wealth
with him because he had earned it in Mecca. In this way they had
forbidden him to leave the city. Suhaibra asked if he could depart on
the condition that he relinquished all his wealth. To this they
agreed and he handed over all his wealth, and arrived in Medina
empty handed. When he visited the Holy Prophetsa and explained
The commentary of al-Qasidah 71
COUPLET 13
ؒ۔
Hast thou seen him who takes his own evil desire for his
god? Couldst thou then be a guardian over him? Dost
thou think that most of them hear or understand? They
are only like cattle; nay they are worst astray from the
path. (al-Furqan, 25:44–45)
Meaning, ‘Indeed, We have honoured the children of
Adam.’ (Bani Isra’il, 17:71)
Allah has subdued for mankind the sky, earth, sun, moon, stars,
canals, rivers, oceans, cliffs and high mountain tops. In short,
everything found in the heavens and the earth has been created for
the benefit of human beings. Thus, a human being is subjected to
Allah and the rest of creation is subjected to human beings.
The commentary of al-Qasidah 73
COUPLET 14
COUPLET 15
cruelty to her husband. She would plead for their lives. The result
was that this innocent believing woman, who was witnessing
cruelties against her husband and son, was stripped and given such
horrible treatment that it is shameful for me to describe it. Finally,
as a result of this extreme punishment she gave up her life.
(Sawaneh ‘Umri Hadrat Muhammadsa Sahib Bani-e-Islam, Shardhiay
Parkash Dev Ji, p. 37–38, Publisher Nara’in Datt Sehgal and Sons,
Lahore, 10th edition)
The faithful of God and the best of human beings were cut into
pieces by the swords of those vicious animals with great cruelty,
and the orphans, the helpless and poor women were slaughtered
in the streets. Even then the clear commandment from Allah was
that they should not fight against this evil. These true believers did
exactly the same. Their streets turned red with their blood but
they did not retaliate. They were slaughtered like animals but they
did not utter a word. The holy and sacred Prophet of God, upon
whom the blessings are sent from the Heavens and the Earth, was
barraged by rocks and his blood was shed, but as a mountain of
truth and determination, he endured all of these torments with an
open and loving heart. The mischief of the opponents continually
grew worse because of the patience and humility of the believers.
They looked upon this pure group of people as their prey. Then
God became furious at the mischievous oppressors for He did not
want cruelty and mischief to exceed the limits and came to the
The commentary of al-Qasidah 77
Allah testifies in the Holy Qur’an that the believers were wronged:
ۙ
...
This illustrates that not only were they considered to have been
wronged in the view of Allah, but in the eyes of the public as well.
Therefore, their steadfastness was due to the special favour of Allah.
78 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 16
5
al-Ma’idah, 5:120
The commentary of al-Qasidah 79
COUPLET 17
6
Kitabu Sunanil-Kubra Lin-Nasa’i, Kitabur-Rajm, Babu Kaifal-I‘tirafu
Biz-Zina’i, vol. 4, p. 276, Hadith no. 7163, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah,
Beirut, 2001
80 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLETS 18 and 19
them that the Muslims were limited to about 300 to 325 soldiers.
Fearing over-confidence on the part of the Meccans, ‘Umair
warned them, ‘O Meccans, my advice to you is not to fight with
them because I have not seen men mounted upon camels, but
death.’ He meant to say that every Muslim on the battlefield was
prepared to die and would not accept defeat without a fierce fight.7
The love displayed by the companions on the battlefield is
simply remarkable. Initially in the Battle of Uhud, the Muslims
were on their way to victory. However, due to a small group of
Muslim soldiers disobeying the command of the Holy Prophetsa,
the situation turned into one of defeat. The enemy archers
ascended onto the hills and launched waves of arrows at the Holy
Prophetsa. Hadrat Talhah extended his hand to shield the face of
the Holy Prophetsa from these arrows. Arrow after arrow pierced
into the hand of Talhahra, but this valiant companion would not
move his hand. So many arrows penetrated his hand that it was
disabled and later amputated.
Years later during the caliphate of Hadrat ‘Alira, when the
Muslims were fighting one another, a man offensively remarked to
Hadrat Talhah as the one-handed. Another companion rebuked
the man saying, ‘Yes, he is the one-handed, but a very blessed one-
handed indeed. You should know that Talhah’s hand was
amputated because he used it to shield the sacred face of the Holy
Prophetsa.’
7
As-Siratun-Nabawiyyah, Ibni Hisham, Dhikru Ru’ya ‘Atikah bint ‘Abdil-
Muttalib…, p. 424–425, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001
82 The commentary of al-Qasidah
8
As-Siratul-Halabiyyah, ‘Allamah Abil-Faraj Nurid-Din, vol. 2, p. 324,
Babu Dhikri Maghazihi (Ghazwatu Uhud), Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah,
Beirut, 2002
The commentary of al-Qasidah 83
He then threw away the date, took out his sword and charged
the opposing army of 3,000 soldiers. The opponents were amazed
by the zeal and fervour with which he was fighting. He was
eventually injured and fell. Even in this condition he continued
attacking the soldiers coming near him with his sword. Finally,
many opponents pounced upon him simultaneously and cut his
body into pieces. When they were through, they had cut him into
seventy pieces making him unrecognizable. His sister later
identified his body by pointing to a mark on his finger.
There are so many other exemplary displays of love,
steadfastness and faithfulness of the companions in battle that it is
impossible to cover them in a book as small as this.
The companions firmly believed the saying of the Holy
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COUPLET 20
Arabs before the advent of Islam were devoid of every type of good
and indulged in every type of evil. There was no nation on earth
more ignorant and more arrogant than them. They lacked
civilization and tradition. They did not have any signs of
righteousness or fear of Allah in them. All they craved was fame and
glory. Their condition was of a people who had been robbed of all
their valuables and who did not have anything to cover their bodies
with.
In these conditions, O my lord and master, they presented
themselves to you and you gave them the wealth of Islam and you
gave them the cloth of righteousness and covered them with fabrics
of faith. You transformed them into people who wanted to leave all
others behind in the performance of virtuous acts. And it was in
following your footsteps that faith and righteousness became their
attire.
The commentary of al-Qasidah 85
COUPLET 21
COUPLET 22
9
Al-Khulafa’ur-Rashidin, Qudumu ‘Umar Ilash-Shami, Dhikru ‘Ahdi Ahli
Baitil-Muqaddas, p. 202, Darul-Kutubil-‘Arabiyy, Beirut (2004)
10
Siyarus-Sahabah, vol. 2, p. 171–172, published by Idarah Islamiyat,
Lahore
88 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 23
COUPLET 24
11
The Talmud, by H. Polano, p. 45, London, Frederick Warne & Co.
90 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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There are many beautiful young girls who are not chased into
their tents, but I have encountered them and have satisfied myself
by playing with them. In these ventures I have passed through
many guards and groups of people; if they had caught me, they
would have killed me. I went to them at the time when they had
taken off their clothes and only had their nightgowns on.
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I have lost my youth and I have tried to recover it by the use of red
wine and beautiful young women.
(Diwanu Akhtal, p. 204, Darul-Kitabul-‘Arabiyy, Beirut, 1994)
12
A Summary of Nurul-Qur’an, no. 1, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 9, p. 344
94 The commentary of al-Qasidah
from their minds. They were free souls with plenty of time on their
hands and were therefore preoccupied in indulging themselves.
In this couplet, beautiful women have been called ghazlan,
because the Arabian people used to compare them to the grace and
beauty of the white deer. The poet Akhtal writes about his church
in the following couplet:
COUPLET 25
COUPLET 26
To stop the evil of immoral sexual relations, the law was declared in
the Holy Qur’an that no man or woman would have sexual
96 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 27
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to hide my drinking from people but that I could take pride and
boast to the people when I greeted them in the bar that morning,
that they were drinking for the first time and I for the second.
(Sharhul-Mu‘allaqatil-‘Ashri, Mu‘allaqah Labid bin Rabi‘ah,
p. 103, Daru Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabiyy)
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O my love, pick up the glass and give me all the liquor that has
been made in the town of Andarin, and make sure that nothing is
left in the cellar. I tasted the wine from the town Ba‘labek, and
Damascus and I used to drink in the place Qasirin.
(Sharhul-Mu‘allaqatil-‘Ashri, Mu‘allaqah ‘Amr bin Kulthum,
p. 113–114, Daru Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabiyy)
The effect of the holy personality of the Holy Prophetsa was such
that in the 4th year after hijrah, when he announced that the
drinking of alcohol was no longer permissible, the Muslims gave up
drinking immediately. It has been reported in a Hadith, that when
this was announced in the city of Medina, a drinking party was
100 The commentary of al-Qasidah
13
Sahih Muslim, Kitabul-Ashribah, Babu Tahrimil-Khamri…, Hadith no.
5131, 5321
The commentary of al-Qasidah 101
COUPLET 28
COUPLET 29
COUPLET 30
14
Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabu Ahadithil-Anbiya’, Chapter 54, Hadith no. 3469
15
Sahihul-Muslim, Kitabuz-Zuhd, Bab Ad-Dunya Sijnul-Mu’min, Hadith
no. 7311
The commentary of al-Qasidah 103
COUPLET 31
This couplet mentions the superiority of the Holy Prophetsa over all
of the other prophets, and this is proven by the fact that he was able
to give spiritual life to his nation of Arabia in such a manner that no
other prophet was able to do so. The most important and greatest
mission of all prophets that came to this world was to spread the
Unity of God. Allah says in the Holy Qur’an in Surah an-Nahl:
And we did raise among every people a Messenger
(preaching): ‘worship Allah and shun the Evil One’. (an-
Nahl, 16:37)
Make for us a god just as this nation has gods other than
Allah. (al-A‘raf, 7:139)
When Mosesas left them for a few days, they started worshipping a
calf. In the same manner the followers of Jesusas after a very short
time became involved in shirk and started to worship Jesusas
himself. However, the spiritual powers of the Holy Prophetsa and
his pure soul were able to give life to a people who were dead for
centuries.
The world witnessed a remarkable revolution. The Arabian
continent, which knew nothing other than idol worshipping,
turned to the worship of One God within a short period of time.
The Holy Prophetsa taught the lesson of Oneness of God to his
followers in such a manner that they could never forget it. Day and
night they continually proclaimed atop the minarets of their
mosques, “There is no one worthy of worship save Allah.”
In essence, the life that was given to the nation of Arabia by the
Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, the perfect one, has no match in any
other nation or country. Hadrat Khalifatul-Masih IIra writes in
Tafsir-e-Kabir:
nation. But Allah gave life to this nation through the advent of the
Holy Prophetsa and made from them conquerors and rulers of the
world. The interesting part is that most sick people have a desire
to get better but the patients that were assigned to the Holy
Prophet Muhammadsa were not desirous of life. It seems that they
wanted to be finished and their name be erased from the world.
But the Holy Prophetsa cured that patient who wanted to die and
considered it impossible to regain life. Not only did the patient
survive but ended up giving life to thousands and thousands of
other people in the world. The people of Mecca among whom the
Holy Prophetsa lived, were average traders. They had no
government or system of any kind. They did not have any respect
or fame, but were living in darkness in a very lowly way of life. It is
remarkable how these same people became full of life and spread
all over the world. They arose just as an eagle pounces upon its
prey and they destroyed the superpowers of their time. The Arabs
had no respect and the low level government officials of the
neighbouring countries used to order them around. However,
after these people became slaves of the Holy Prophetsa, they
became so powerful that they would stand up to the greatest
governments of that time. The governments of Caesar and
Chosroes were destroyed when they clashed with them. Great
kings presented themselves in their courts with their heads bowed
and with their swords surrendered. This is an illustration of the
revival that Allah the Exalted manifested upon the Holy
Prophetsa.
(Tafsir-e-Kabir, vol. 8, p. 398)
106 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 32
How wonderful was the revolution that took place amongst the
Arabs. There was a time when they exhausted their nights in music,
luxury, sports, eating and drinking, and now the same people were
spending the dark hours of the night enjoying the pleasure of
prayers and crying while prostrating to Allah. This was a wonderful
revolution that took place.
Pre-Islamic Arab customs include five different times when
liquor was consumed and presented to guests within the day. There
was a liquor named jashiriyyah which was consumed before sunrise.
The liquor called sabuh was consumed after sunrise. At noon-time
it was qail. The one consumed in the afternoon was named ghabuq,
and the drink for the evening was named fahmah.16 Islam changed
these five times of drinking alcohol into the five daily prayers, and
thus replaced each sinful activity with a good deed.
16
Lisanul-‘Arab, under the word Fahmah
The commentary of al-Qasidah 107
COUPLET 33
COUPLET 34
COUPLET 35
COUPLET 36
COUPLET 37
In the last two couplets there is mention of the ills of the Arabian
civilization. The famous poet Maulana Altaf Husain Hali states
their condition in his poetry as follows:
The commentary of al-Qasidah 109
They acted just as beasts and were known for their robbing and
looting. They spent their life in fighting and creating trouble and
had no justice among them. They were so keen on killing that they
can only be compared to the beasts of the jungle. They were
stubborn and once they started a fight there was no way to stop it.
If only two people had an argument, hundreds would become
involved. If there was only one small little spark the country
would make a fire out of it. As an example of this, there was a fight
between Bakr and Taghlab17 which lasted almost fifty years. This
fight spread throughout Arabia and many tribes were completely
annihilated. It was not a fight over land or government, but only a
manifestation of their ignorance. They would fight over who was
allowed to graze their pastures or whose horse should be first or
who would receive water first. Over their petty issues they fought
and drew their swords. Day and night they were engrossed in
gambling, and drinking became engraved in their very nature.
They were living a life of luxury and carelessness, and basically,
had lost their senses. Their condition was the worst in every
respect. Centuries had passed in such a state and their sins had
overshadowed their virtues.18
17
Bakr and Taghlab are the names of two Arab tribes that were battling
each other. Their main battle was named the Battle of Basus. There was a
woman from the family of Bakr whose name was Basus. Bakr had a guest
whose camel strayed into the land of Kulaib, while grazing. Kulaib
belonged to the family of Taghlab. So Kulaib shot an arrow at its utter.
The Bakr tribe became angry over this and a person named Muhalhil
killed Kulaib with a dagger. This started a battle among the tribes, which
continued for a long time.
18
Musaddas Madd-o-Jazar Islam, Musaddas Hali Shamsul-‘Ulama’, p. 14–
15, Feroz Sons Lahore, First Edition (1988)
110 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLETS 38 and 39
Your Majesty, our condition was such that we were at the lowest
level of ignorance. We used to worship idols. Our language was
filthy. We used to eat dead animals. We had no quality of
humanity within us. Then Allah, Who is Gracious to the whole
The commentary of al-Qasidah 111
112 The commentary of al-Qasidah
And the servants of the Gracious God are those who walk
on the earth in a dignified manner and when the ignorant
address them they say ‘Peace’. (al-Furqan, 25:64)
This means that a change has taken place among the people whom
Allah has prepared by His Grace and through His prophet. Dignity
and humility has taken the place of the arrogant way of living. They
used to be proud to walk in an arrogant manner under the
influence of alcohol as the poet Qais bin Khatim states:
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When I drink four glasses of liquor in the morning
then I walk with arrogance and my drawstring draws
a line on the ground as I walk.
(Tashilud-Dirasah Fi Sharhil-Himasah, Babul-Himasah, Wa Qala Qais bin
Khatim, p. 44, translated by Maulawi Dhul-Fiqar ‘Ali,
Published by ‘Abdut-Tawwab Academy, Multan, March 1986)
And now their condition is such that they walk with dignity and
self restrain. They have no arrogance left in them and they present
themselves to others with kindness and with etiquette. Before the
advent of Islam, they used to be proud of ignorance, i.e., fighting, as
the poet ‘Amr bin Kulthum Taghlabi wrote:
The commentary of al-Qasidah 113
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Beware nobody should try ignorance with us (meaning
do not start fights with us)
Otherwise we would show you we are more ignorant
than you.
(Sharhul-Mu‘allaqatil-‘Ashri, Mu‘allaqah ‘Amr bin Kulthum,
p. 121, Daru Ihya’it-Turathil-‘Arabiyy)
Meaning, When these people are addressed by the
ignorant meaning those who want to fight, they respond
with peace. (al-Furqan, 25:64)
(al-Furqan 25:65) they spend their nights in
around. Now, not only have they left these bad habits, but
۔
Their sides keep away from their beds; and they call on
their Lord in fear and hope. (as-Sajdah, 32:17)
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As soon as Hadrat Khubaibra recited the last couplet, the sword fell
upon his neck and his head separated from his body. It was a very
dreadful and moving scene. Among the people who had gathered to
witness this event was Sa‘id bin ‘Amir, who later converted to
Islam. Whenever the mention of the murder of Hadrat Khubaibra
ever came up in any discussion he used to faint.19 The murderers of
Hadrat Khubaibra have been long forgotten and there is no mention
of them but the name of Hadrat Khubaibra lives forever.
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The one who is killed by the sword of faithfulness,
They have been given a new life and it has been proven
in every age (i.e. throughout history).
(Siyarul-Auliya’, Syed Muhammad Mubarak ‘Alawi Karmanawi, translated
by I‘jazul-Haqq Qudsi, Fourth Point Hadrat Sheikh Qutb-ud-Din
Bakhtiyar Rahmatullah ‘Alaih…)
19
Usdul-Ghabah Fi Ma‘rifatis-Sahabah, vol. 2, p. 259, Sa‘d bin ‘Amir,
Darul-Fikr, Beirut, edn. 2003
The commentary of al-Qasidah 117
In the era of ignorance there were looters and robbers. Over minor
issues battles would start and continue for months and years.
However, after accepting Islam, their condition has been described
in the Holy Qur’an as such:
۔
And those who bear not false witness, and when they pass
by anything vain, they pass on with dignity. (al-Furqan,
25:73)
This verse means that the people whose former condition did not
distinguish lies from truth, now do not give any false witness nor do
they make any false agreements and when they see people engaged
in absurd and foolish activities, they refrain from involving
themselves.
The Holy Qur’an says:
That these same people who would not listen to the truth
nor try to comprehend it, now when the Words of Allah
20
Sunan An-Nasa’i, Kitabun-Nikah, Babu Tazwijiz-Zaniyah, Hadith no.
3228
The commentary of al-Qasidah 119
O our Lord, mould our wives and our children in
spirituality that they become the delight of our eyes and
make us the leaders of the righteous. (al-Furqan, 25:75)
COUPLET 40
COUPLET 41
The first part of the couplet could mean that in the pleasure of the
Holy Prophetsa was a reflection of the pleasure of Allah and that his
person is a manifestation of God Himself, and that this
manifestation has reflected itself in all of his great works.
This couplet mentions another superiority of the Holy
Prophetsa over other prophets. It says that the person of the Holy
Prophetsa was a complete and perfect manifestation of God
Himself. The previous prophets and other pious people became
manifestations of Allah according to their capacities or spiritual
levels, but none from among them was able to become a perfect
122 The commentary of al-Qasidah
So it is clear that the Holy Prophetsa was the one who was the
perfect manifestation of God Himself. The Promised Messiahas
writes in his Persian poetry:
21
Matthew 15:24
124 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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(al-Qalam, 68:5)
COUPLET 44
22
Kitabus-Sunanil-Kubra Lil-Baihaqi, vol. 2, p. 572, Jima‘u Abwabis-Salati
Bin-Najasati..., Babu Ainama Adrakatkas-Salatu, Hadith no. 4368,
Maktabatur-Rushdi, Beirut (2004)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 127
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130 The commentary of al-Qasidah
In this hadith the Holy Prophetsa has been described as the central
point of the circle of humanity. In other words, he was the perfect
human being.
In 1928, when I was residing in a hotel in Haifa, Palestine, I was
sitting on the balcony on the second floor when two businessmen
from Nablis, who were also staying in the hotel, came and started a
conversation with me. During our conversation they asked
regarding this hadith. I gave them a general description but it did
not satisfy them. One of them said that it seems illogical that if one
person was not to be created, then the whole world would not have
been created.
I felt a disturbance in my heart because of his objection and I
had a great desire at that moment to find a solution that would
satisfy him. Alhamdulillah, all of a sudden this matter was clarified
in my heart which I proceeded to explain to them. I said that when
a person starts to build something it is normally his desire to make
it so perfect that it will have no shortcomings so he tries his best in
order to achieve that. The reason for the defects in the works of
human beings is that they do not have perfect knowledge nor do
they have control over everything.
For example, a watchmaker, no matter how professional he is in
his trade, would not be able to build a watch that would continue
to run forever without any defects. Why can he not make such a
The commentary of al-Qasidah 131
(al-Qalam 68:5)
not be imagined because the word ‘Azim used here is only used in
Arabic when something is used in its perfect form.
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, part 4, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 194,
footnote no. 11)
23
As-Siratul-Halabiyyah, ‘Allamah Abil-Faraj Nurid-Din, vol. 2, p. 290,
Babu Dhikri Maghazihi (Ghazwatu Dhi ‘Amrin), Darul-Kutubil-
‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut (2002)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 133
24
Subulul-Huda War-Rashad, Imam Muhammad bin Yusuf, vol. 5, p. 242,
Al-Babus-Sabi‘u Wal-‘Ishruna Fi Ghazwatil-Fathil-A‘zam...Dhikru
Khutbati Yaumil-Fathi, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut (1993)
25
Kitabus-Sunanil-Kubra Lil-Baihaqi, vol. 9, p. 195, Jima‘u Abwabis-Siyar,
Babu Fathi Makkata Harrasahallahu Ta‘ala, Hadith no. 4368,
Maktabatur-Rushdi, Beirut (2004)
134 The commentary of al-Qasidah
26
Luke 23:34
The commentary of al-Qasidah 135
27
Subulul-Huda War-Rashad, Imam Muhammad bin Yusuf, vol. 4, p. 248,
Al-Babuth-Thalith Fi Ghazwatil-Uhud, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut
(1993)
28
Ash-Shifa’u Bi-Ta‘rifi Huquqil-Mustafa, Qadi ‘Ayyad, vol. 1, p. 72–73,
Fasl Wa Ammal-Hilmu, Darul-Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut (2002)
136 The commentary of al-Qasidah
that the prayer of Jesusas at this difficult time was not accepted and
the Jews were not forgiven, because if they were forgiven then the
Kingdom of Heaven would not have been taken from them. Since
it is obvious the Kingdom of Heaven was taken away from them,
we have no choice but to acknowledge that the prayer to forgive the
Jews was not accepted.
However, the prayer of the Holy Prophetsa that Allah may
provide guidance to his people was accepted. The glory of the
acceptance of this prayer was manifested on the day of the victory
of Mecca in a manner no one in the world can deny. When the
Holy Prophetsa forgave all of his enemies on the day of victory, they
all accepted Islam. By receiving this guidance they became a proof
of the acceptance of the prayers of the Holy Prophetsa that Allah
provide them guidance. By the Grace of Allah, the Holy Prophetsa
was not only unique in his qualities of forgiveness and in his
treatment of others, but in all other qualities such as bravery, self
respect, charity, truthfulness, doing favours, sacrifices, faithfulness,
steadfastness, patience, trust in Allah, and kindness and affection
towards the creatures of Allah.
Anyone who desires to study the details of how the moral
qualities of the Holy Prophetsa were better than other prophets
should study the commentary of Surah al-Kauthar written by
Khalifatul-Masih II, Hadrat Mirza Bashir-ud-Din Mahmud
Ahmad, in his Tafsir-e-Kabir [the Large Commentary].
The second part of this couplet describes that blessings have
been perfected by the Holy Prophetsa for all times to come. In the
Holy Qur’an, blessings have been described in worldly matters as
‘kingdom’ and in the spiritual world as ‘prophethood.’ It is
unparalleled how the Holy Prophetsa was given kingdom in the
The commentary of al-Qasidah 137
worldly sense and how his people were faithful and ready to
sacrifice their lives for him. In his lifetime, Allah gave him control
over the territories of Arabia, Yemen, Najd and Bahrain, and Allah
said:
The Holy Prophetsa also prophesied that Mecca and Medina would
not go into the control of non-Muslims, who would be unaware of
its sanctity. For 1,400 years this prophecy has held true. The
country that Allah had given to the Holy Prophetsa has always been
under Muslim rule and non-Muslim powers have been unable to
overcome it. There is no example of such a blessing in the world.
The spiritual blessing, or prophethood, has also been given to
him in its best form as he has been given the title Khatamun-
Nabiyyin or Seal of the Prophets. This means that qualities reached
their excellence in the Holy Prophetsa, i.e. the qualities of
prophethood that were found in other prophets individually were
all combined and collectively appeared in the prophetethood of the
Holy Prophetsa. In essence, there is no level or status of
prophethood which was accomplished by any prophet that has not
been given to the Holy Prophetsa.
The title of Khatamun-Nabiyyin is not only because of these
collective qualities and because the Holy Prophetsa is better than all
other prophets, but it is also because the grace of the Holy Prophetsa
is better than all of the other prophets. Thus far, there is no other
prophet through whom someone else could receive the blessings of
138 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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This statement does not go against the title Seal of the Prophets,
because the title means that there would be no prophet who
would abrogate his Shariah, and a person cannot be a prophet who
does not follow his law.
(Al-Maudu‘atil-Kubra, Mulla ‘Ali Qari, p. 192, Hadith no. 745,
Qadimi Kutub Khanah Karachi)
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Call him Khatamul-Anbiya’ but do not say that there will not be
any prophet after him.
(Majma‘ Biharul-Anwar, ‘Allamah Muhammad Tahir Gujrati
vol. 5, p. 502, under the word ‘Zaid’, Maktabah Daril-Iman,
Madinah Munawwarah, 1994)
Hadrat ‘A’ishahra has said this because there would be no
prophet who would abrogate his Shariah.
The followers of a previous prophet could achieve three
blessings by following him. They could become: siddiq [truthful],
shahid [martyr], or salih [righteous]. But it was only due to the
blessings of the Holy Prophetsa and by following him that a follower
in the time of need could become a prophet. The Promised
COUPLET 47
ۚ
ۙ
Then he drew nearer (to God), then he came down (to
mankind), So that he became (as it were), one chord to
two bows or closer still. (an-Najm, 53:9-10)
This means that the Holy Prophetsa in his journey towards Allah
adopted the moral attributes of Allah in such a perfect manner that
he became very close to Allah. Then he was sent down to the
creatures of Allah and dedicated all of his efforts towards the
reformation and betterment of human beings.
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Here, there were two diverse inclinations in one heart with the
same mode and intention. One inclination was towards God who
is Ever-Existing, and the other was towards His servants who are
brought into existence through creation. Both kinds of entities -
the Originator and the originated - are like a circle: its upper
portion is the Higher Causation and the lower side is its
contingent effect. In between the two, right in the middle is the
perfect man who made a firm connection on both sides by
ascending high to attain nearness to God, and then descending
towards mankind. Thus, he took the likeness of one string that
firmly joins two bows together; he was like a chord between two
curves of a circle. He became a medium between God the Truth,
and mankind. First, he received a distinctive station of closeness
to God reaching the pinnacle of nearness to Him, and then he was
brought down towards mankind. In this manner, his ascent and
descent appeared in the shape of two curves; and thus the perfect
man, in whose person both connections were flawlessly
accomplished, is like ‘qaba qausain’ – ‘a chord between two bows.’
In Arabic, the word ‘qab’ is applied to a bowstring. Therefore, the
literal meaning of the verse (53:9) would be: ‘He drew nearer, that
is, to God, and then he came down to mankind, so that he
became, as it were, one chord to two bows.’
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, part 4, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 265,
sub-footnote no. 1)
The commentary of al-Qasidah 143
In this couplet the same subject has been related that the Holy
Prophetsa is the intermediary between the Creator and the created.
No one can achieve nearness to Allah without following his
religion. No action can be acceptable to Allah without being
followed through his religion and be in accordance with his
Shariah, and performed in accordance with his Sunnah.
In the first couplet of this Qasidah, it was explained that the
only way to achieve nearness to Allah was through the Holy
Prophetsa, and whoever does not drink from this spring is deprived
forever because all other springs have dried up. In other words, with
resorting to the Holy Prophetsa as a medium, no one can reach the
Royal Court of Allah the Exalted.
COUPLET 48
COUPLET 49
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following him, for only ten days, a person can attain such light,
which could not have been achieved before in a thousand years.
(Siraj-e-Munir, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 12, p. 82)
In the second part of the couplet another reason for his superiority
is explained, in that there is no superiority in appearing earlier or
later; rather, superiority depends upon the excellence of attributes
and a high degree of actions that are fruitful. This same concept was
expressed by Muhammad Qasim Nanautawi, founder of Darul-
‘Ulum, Deoband, when he was discussing Khatamun-Nabiyyin in
his book Tahdhirun-Nas:
29
…but he is the Messenger of Allah and the Seal of Prophets (al-Ahzab,
33:41)
146 The commentary of al-Qasidah
accept my conclusion.
(Tahdhirun-Nas, Maulana Muhammad Qasim Nanotwi, p. 41–42,
Suhail Printers, Bilal Ganj Lahore, Idaratul-‘Aziz, Gujranwala,
3rd edition 2001)
In this couplet the superiority of the Holy Prophet (may peace and
blessings of Allah be upon him) is mentioned because he is a
composite of the attributes of all people who were close to Allah,
The commentary of al-Qasidah 147
COUPLET 50
COUPLET 51
Allah had blessed the Holy Prophetsa with such awe and fear that
the enemy did not have the strength to face him. One time Abu
Jahl, who was renowned for bravery amongst the Meccans, owed
money to a person and would not pay him back. Some Meccans
said to that person that he should go and see Muhammadsa about
this matter. It was a mischievous plan, that on one hand if the Holy
Prophetsa did not help he would be guilty of breaking his oath
which is known as Hilful-Fudul, and on the other hand, if he went
with this man to Abu Jahl, then he was sure to be harmed. When
this lender came to the Holy Prophetsa and asked for his help, the
Holy Prophetsa went with him without any hesitation and knocked
the door of Abu Jahl. Abu Jahl responded and came out. The Holy
Prophetsa asked him to pay his debt. Without any delay or
hesitation, Abu Jahl paid his debt on the spot. The leaders of Mecca
later taunted Abu Jahl by reminding him that he was the one who
used to tell them to harass the Holy Prophetsa, and now he had
humbly obeyed him. Abu Jahl answered them that I swear by God
that if you were in my place you would have done the same thing. I
saw two mad camels on both sides of Muhammadsa ready to attack a
The commentary of al-Qasidah 149
The awe of truth that radiated from the Holy Prophetsa trampled
mischief, and all others had to succumb to this power of truth.
COUPLET 52
In this couplet the Promised Messiahas says that his own heart has a
very powerful relationship with the heart of the Holy Prophetsa.
That is the reason he has received blessings from him. This
relationship has been mentioned in one of Promised Messiah’s
revelations:
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In other words, the Holy Prophetsa is his teacher and guide, and the
Promised Messiahas is his pupil.
COUPLET 53
Allah taught the Holy Prophetsa knowledge and facts which were
not apparent to the rest of the world. For example, the Holy
Prophetsa said that there is a cure for every disease except death. He
made this statement at a time when many diseases were considered
incurable. After years and years of research, we find that many
‘incurable’ diseases have now become curable. In the same manner
he stated once by a revelation of Allah,
30
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The commentary of al-Qasidah 151
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Everything in this world has been created for the benefit of human
beings. We find that in this age many things have been found to be
beneficial that were considered previously harmful or useless.
The Promised Messiahas says about the Holy Prophetsa.
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152 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 54
In the previous couplets the past prophets were likened to the light
rain that preceded and foretold of a heavier rain (Surah al-Baqarah
32
۔represents Islam and the advent of the Holy
Prophetsa as a heavy rain.), and that the composite of all the
attributes of the earlier prophets was found in the personality of the
Holy Prophetsa.
Now a question arises that the Christians believe the same thing
about Jesus. They consider him to be superior to all the prophets,
and the Seal of the Prophets. The writer priest named Butamal of the
booklet Khatamun-Nabiyyin, published by Punjab Religious Book
Society, 2nd edition in 1953 says:
It is only the Israelites that were selected to receive and deliver the
word of God, therefore the advent of the Seal of the Prophets was
to take place from the Children of Israel, and that last prophet is
Jesus Christ. It is this very last prophet who put a seal on
32
al-Baqarah, 2:20
The commentary of al-Qasidah 153
This world has been left as an open ground for false prophets until
the second advent of our God Jesus so people can be tried.
The Christians say that Jesus was raised to the heavens alive where
he has been living for the past 2,000 years. They also believe that
Jesus will appear in the latter days and will guide the world to the
right path. Muslims have similar beliefs that he will kill the
antichrist, destroy Gog and Magog, and will achieve the level of
success that no other prophet has achieved. In considering all of the
above, it is not proper to give superiority to anyone over Jesus. This
couplet answers this very question, where the Promised Messiahas
says that Jesus is dead, but our Holy Prophetsa is still living.
I consider it proper to mention a dialogue that took place
between me and a Syrian person who was the attorney of the
missionary In-Charge of Syria, Mr. Alfred Nelson Dimurkey. It was
154 The commentary of al-Qasidah
33
۔
33
al-Jumu‘ah, 62:3
The commentary of al-Qasidah 155
This means that the Holy Prophetsa has been sent to an unlettered
people and he teaches them signs and purifies them. In this verse
the Holy Prophetsa has been mentioned as one who makes others
zaki, i.e., one who transforms others into the likeness of Jesus
Christ. I told him that he was under the wrong impression that
according to the Holy Qur’an Jesusas is superior to all prophets
including the Holy Prophetsa; and it should be clear to him that
according to this verse the status of the Holy Prophetsa is that of a
teacher and of Jesusas as a pupil. Jesusas is referred to as a zaki and
the Holy Prophetsa as a muzakki, meaning the one who makes
others zaki.
Upon my questioning him further, he presented another verse
in which he said the Holy Qur’an has mentioned about the purity
of the ancestors of Jesus Christ. His point was that there is no
mention of the ancestry of Muhammadsa at all. I asked him: ‘Do
you consider the Qur’an to be the word of God or of
Muhammadsa?’
He answered: ‘Of Muhammadsa.’
So I responded: ‘Then who do you think purified the name of
the ancestors of Jesus? Even by this logic the Holy Prophetsa is
established as a muzakki which is the status of the teacher.’
The third verse he presented was in which the Holy Qur’an says
about Jesusas meaning, that Allah assisted him with
the Holy Spirit. I told him that the Holy Qur’an says about Adam:
Meaning, I have breathed into him of My Spirit, fall thee
down in submission to him, so the angels submitted to
him. (al-Hijr 15:30).
We find in no place where the angels submitted to Jesusas. We
do find in the Gospel of Mathew where it is written that one time
Satan asked Jesusas to submit to him.
The commentary of al-Qasidah 157
with you.’
In the Holy Qur’an we find that Allah says about the
companions of the Holy Prophetsa that Allah assisted
them with the Holy Spirit. Now the companions of the Holy
Prophetsa were his pupils and as Jesusas was also assisted by the Holy
Spirit, again this shows him to be a pupil as compared to the Holy
Prophetsa.
Allah says about the Holy Prophetsa 34 ۔that he was
taught by Shadidul-Quwa, which is a manifestation of Gabriel. The
Holy Spirit is also a manifestation of Gabriel. According to the
Gospels, the Holy Spirit descended upon Jesusas in the shape of a
dove.35 We find in a Hadith that when Gabriel appeared to the
Holy Prophetsa, the whole sky was filled with his manifestation.36
There is no comparison between these great manifestations as
compared to that of a dove.
Then he said that you believe that Jesus has been raised to the
skies according to 37
۔and he is still living and will
descend in the latter days; however, Muhammadsa died as other
human beings do. I said that you are not aware of my belief. I
believe that Jesusas has died and the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa is
alive. He astonishingly asked me: ‘How is that?’
34
An-Najm, 53:6
35
Matthew 3:16
36
Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabul-Bad’il-Wahyi, ch.3, Hadith no.4
37
An-Nisa’, 4:159
158 The commentary of al-Qasidah
I said that from a physical sense, all prophets have died, and the
word rafa‘a in the mentioned verse refers to an elevated status and
nearness to Allah. Since the Jews claimed that they had killed Jesus
on the cross and therefore established him as being accursed of
God, Allah states that the Jews killed him neither on the cross nor
in any other manner. Therefore, he is not accursed but has a close
relationship with Allah. In the Arabic language, if the word rafa‘a is
used when the subject is Allah and the object is a human being,
there is no other meaning of this word except nearness to Allah and
elevation in status. Forget about the heavens, it cannot mean
elevating anyone even upon a hill.
In the Holy Qur’an in Surah A‘raf, it says:
And if we had so desired, we could have exalted him
thereby, but he inclined to the earth, and followed his evil
inclination (al-A‘raf, 7:177)
In this verse even the word ‘earth’ has been mentioned with rafa‘a,
but no one attempts to imply the meaning of ‘taking him up to the
skies.’
In a hadith it says:
In spite of the fact that the word ‘heaven’ is used along with rafa‘a,
no one takes the literal meaning that a person showing humility is
taken up literally to the heavens. As I have mentioned before in the
Arabic language rafa‘ ilallah only means nearness to Allah and
elevation of status and not bodily elevation so you should not get
the wrong impression from the word rafa‘.
I further stated that the Holy Prophetsa has also died in a
physical sense, but from the perspective of spiritual benefits and
blessings, he is alive and Jesusas is dead. No one can achieve nearness
to Allah to the point of having communication with Him by
following Jesusas. Neither his religion nor religious law is alive today
and has no spiritual benefits. On the other hand, the spiritual
benefits of the Holy Prophetsa and his powers of purification are
continuing. People are benefiting from it today. His religion is alive,
his book is alive, and his law is alive. Therefore, it is only the Holy
Prophetsa who can be considered and declared as being the only
living prophet.
Upon hearing all of this he said this is all new to him. Then he
discussed a little while longer and left.
160 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 58
The above two couplets are addressed mainly to the Muslims who
believe that Jesus is alive in the heavens and that he will come down
in some unknown period of time. This belief is a great advantage
for Christians to lead people astray.
The writer of this Qasidah says in his Persian poetry:
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This means that people consider Jesus to be living until the Day of
Judgment but they do not assign this superior position to Hadrat
Muhammadsa who is buried in Yathrib. Since these people lack the
fragrance of spiritual wisdom and knowledge, they accepted this
inferiority for the Holy Prophetsa. They cast all of the pearls of the
Holy Qur’an in the dirt. The Islamic nation experienced great
losses because of their inferior knowledge. Because of their above-
mentioned belief, they aided the Christians, and a man-
worshipping nation became aggressive in their propagation.38
DEATH OF JESUS A S :
۔
And when Allah will say: “O Jesus, son of Mary, didst thou
say to men, ‘Take me and my mother for two gods besides
Allah… (al-Ma’idah, 5:117)
He will reply:
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A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 56
The commentary of al-Qasidah 163
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Then he would be answered that you do not know what they did
after you had gone. You do not know what type of innovations
they came up with. The Holy Prophetsa says that I will say the
same thing that the righteous servant of Allah has been reported
to have said in the Holy Qur’an that I was a guardian and witness
over them as long as I was among them but when you caused me
to die, you alone were the watcher over them. Then it would be
said to the Holy Prophetsa, that as soon as you departed from
them, they turned away from their religion.
(Sahihul-Bukhari, Kitabut-Tafsir, under Surah al-Ma’idah,
Bab Wa Kuntu ‘Alaihim Shahidan, Hadith no.4625)
SECOND VERSE:
۔
And Muhammad is only a messenger. Verily, (all)
messengers have passed away before him. If then he die or
be slain, will you turn back on your heels? (Al-e-‘Imran,
3:145)
In this verse, Allah has given the news to the Holy Prophetsa that all
of the prophets before him, which includes Jesusas, have died.
Furthermore, the only two means of passing away of the prophets
are described as death or murder. If there were a third means such
as ascending to heaven, then it should have been included in this
verse. So this verse also proves the death of Jesus because he is one
of the prophets who appeared before the Holy Prophetsa in time.
Sahih Bukhari39 mentions that when the Holy Prophetsa died and
the news of his passing away started to spread in Medina, the
companions were in denial and shock. Hadrat ‘Umarra threatened
to kill anyone who said that the Holy Prophetsa had died. On that
day Hadrat Abu Bakrra delivered a sermon in which he stated:
39
Sahihul-Muslim, Kitabul-Maghazi, Babu Maradin-Nabiyyi Wa Wafatihi,
Hadith no. 4454
166 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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Meaning, All the people memorized this verse after they listened
to Abu Bakr and the narrator says that he could hear almost
everyone reciting this verse on that day.
(Sahihul-Muslim, Kitabul-Maghazi, Babu Maradin-Nabiyyi Wa Wafatihi,
Hadith no. 4454)
Hadrat ‘Umarra states that as soon as Abu Bakrra recited this verse, I
was in such a state of shock and sorrow that I could not stand up
and fell down to my knees and finally accepted that the Holy
Prophetsa had passed away.
At that time if Hadrat ‘Umarra or any other companion believed
that Jesusas was alive bodily in heaven, what would have prevented
The commentary of al-Qasidah 167
their questioning why Jesusas, who was also a prophet, was still alive?
But none of the companions raised this question. The fact that
none of the companions, and especially Hadrat ‘Umarra, did not
mention the example of Jesusas and accepted the argument relating
to the death of the Holy Prophetsa which was proven by the verse
that all prophets before the Holy Prophetsa had died, is a clear proof
of their belief that all prophets before the Holy Prophetsa, including
Jesusas, had died.
HISTORY:
The answer to this question was already given in the Holy Qur’an
that since all prophets before him passed away, the death of the
168 The commentary of al-Qasidah
They had accepted Islam a very short time before the Holy
Prophetsa passed away. His tribesmen said that if Muhammadsa
was a prophet he should not have died and they turned away from
Islam. When Jarud learned about this, he gathered all the people
together and said to them, ‘O people of ‘Abdul-Qais, I am about
to ask you something and I would like you to provide me the
answer.’ They said: ‘Ask whatever you desire. Jarud asked them if
they knew whether Allah sent prophets to the world in previous
times.’ They answered: ‘Yes.’ Then Jarud asked them what
happened to them. They answered that they all died. Then Jarud
said: ‘Just as the previous prophets left this world, Muhammadsa
has died.’ He declared that day that:
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‘There is none worthy of worship except Allah and Muhammadsa
is His servant and messenger.’ His tribesmen said that we also bear
witness that there is no god but Allah and certainly Muhammadsa
is His messenger and His servant, and we consider you our elder
and our leader.
The commentary of al-Qasidah 169
From this historical event it becomes clear that the apostates at the
time of the Holy Prophetsa used his death as the basis of their
apostasy. Their argument was rejected based upon the fact that all
prophets before the Holy Prophetsa had died. It is apparent that this
argument could only work if every one of the prophets before him
had passed away, because even if one person was considered to be
alive, then the argument fails. Thus it was the consensus of the
companions of the Holy Prophetsa that Jesus had in fact died.
Later, when Islam spread amongst the Christian nations, and
the Christians accepted Islam in large numbers, their proper
religious training could not take place. Due to the Christian
influence, Muslims started to spread the same beliefs that were in
existence before Islam. Also, since the Christians and Jews were
considered to be educated and learned people, the Muslim public
started to listen to them after they accepted Islam and slowly began
to interpret the verses of the Holy Qur’an in line with their
thinking. For example, in the commentary of Wahab bin Mambah,
) it states that Allah gave Jesus death for three
under the commentary of the verse: inni mutawaffika wa rafi‘uka
ilayya (
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170 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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Our stance is that the hadith states that Jesus lived to be 120 years
old at the same time the Holy Prophetsa stated that his age would be
The commentary of al-Qasidah 171
Generally people say that Jesus has not died but Imam Malik’s
belief was that Jesus had died.
(Majma‘ Biharul-Anwar, ‘Allamah Muhammad Tahir Gujrati,
vol. 1, p. 534, under the word ‘Hakam’, Maktabah Daril-Iman,
Madinah Munawwarah, 1994)
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If anyone were worthy of everlasting life,
41
Kanzul-‘Ummal Fi Sunanil-Aqwali Wal-Af‘al, Kitabul-Fada’ili, Fada’ilu
Sa’iril-Anbiya’i Salawatullahi....., vol. 11, p. 217, Hadith no. 32,259, Darul-
Kutubil-‘Ilmiyyah, Beirut, 2001
172 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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The commentary of al-Qasidah 173
The fact made clear in these verses is that a more valuable or useful
thing is saved. Therefore, the person most worthy of being kept
alive was the Holy Prophetsa. Allah says that since everlasting life
was not given to the Holy Prophetsa, it cannot be given to anyone
else.
The Promised Messiahas writes in his Arabic couplet:
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If any human being could attain the ability to ascend
to the heavens,
Then the Holy Prophetsa was most suitable and
deserving.
(Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya, part 5, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 1, p. 332)
COUPLET 60
COUPLET 61
The Promised Messiahas had seen our master, the pride of the
prophets, Muhammad Mustafasa many times in dreams and even in
a state of Kashf [vision during wakefulness]. I present one
quotation from his book A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, in which he has
mentioned one of his dreams. It is the same book in which this
Qasidah is written.
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The commentary of al-Qasidah 175
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In my days of youth one night I saw that I am in a glorious house
which is very clean and pure and in that house there is talk of the
Holy Prophetsa. I asked the people where the Holy Prophetsa is
sitting and they told me about a particular room in the house and
I went there. When I came face to face with Hudur (i.e. Prophet
Muhammadsa), he was very pleased. He answered my salam in an
excellent manner. I still remember his beauty, his kindness, and
the way he looked at me with love. I can never forget it. He
enchanted me with his love. I fell in love with his handsome face.
He said to me at that time, “O Ahmad, what is in your hand?” I
looked at my hand and felt that I had a book in my hand, and it
appeared to be a book written by me. I said to him, “Hudur, this is
my writing.”
(A’ina’-e-Kamalat-e-Islam, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 5, p. 548,
translated from Arabic)
In Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya he writes:
176 The commentary of al-Qasidah
42
i.e., Barahin-e-Ahmadiyya (Jalal-ud-Din Shams)
178 The commentary of al-Qasidah
9
audience with the Holy Prophetsa:
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O my beloved, remember the time when in a kashf you
showed me your face,
and do you remember that other time when you came
so eagerly to see me?
The commentary of al-Qasidah 179
COUPLET 62
In the above few couplets the fact has been revealed that the
prophet who is living in his glory and sits on the throne of purity is
the Holy Prophet Muhammadsa, and not Jesus Christ. Jesusas has
died and the time for people to attain spirituality or purification
from him has expired. However, the Holy Prophet’ssa power of
purification and spirituality is living and will perpetuate until the
ends of time.
The Promised Messiahas has given his own example as proof of
the living spirituality of the Holy Prophetsa. In this way he has
proven the superiority of the Holy Prophetsa over all other prophets
180 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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other religions. He writes:
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He states at another place:
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The commentary of al-Qasidah 181
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182 The commentary of al-Qasidah
I tell you truthfully that Islam is such a true religion that if all the
non-believers on planet earth stood up to pray about something
on one side, and I alone pray to God on the other side, God would
certainly hear my prayer, not because I am better than them, but
only because I believe in His Prophet from the bottom of my
heart. I know that prophethood has been finalized with him and
so has his spiritual law been finalized. However, one type of
prophethood has not finished and that is the one that can be
achieved by following him perfectly. Therefore, since this
prophethood is like a lamp that receives its light from the
prophethood of Muhammadsa, it is part of the same prophethood
and is only a part of its reflection and receives its benefits from it.
God is the enemy of such a person who claims that the Holy
Qur’an has been abrogated, who acts against the Shariah of
Muhammadsa and wants to impose his own Shariah and does not
The commentary of al-Qasidah 183
COUPLET 63
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COUPLET 64
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COUPLET 65
Once he said with great pride that I elevated Mirza Sahib and I am
the one who will bring him down, but after that, let alone
192 The commentary of al-Qasidah
At the time they issued the verdict of disbelief against the Promised
Messiahas, all these scholars of Islam enjoyed glory and prestige.
However, what happened from that point on until their death is
apparent to the whole world. Even the enemies of Ahmadiyyat
admitted that all their efforts against this Jama‘at were wasted. On
the other hand, Allah gave respect to the Promised Messiahas and
made his name famous and gave his Jama‘at remarkable progress.
His Jama‘at exists in every corner of the world today. His missions
can be found in Washington, Chicago, and in many other states
and cities, in London, and even in many European countries, as well
The commentary of al-Qasidah 193
COUPLET 66
COUPLET 67
COUPLET 68
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You are the one in whose love my heart is completely
absorbed.
You are like the soul in my body.
You are the one because of whose love and affection
I have been provided revelation and nearness to Allah.
(Anjam-e-Atham, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 11, p. 280)
196 The commentary of al-Qasidah
COUPLET 69
COUPLET 70
wishes that he could fly. He has stated the same idea in one of his
Persian poems:
A BEAUTIFUL FINISH
The last two couplets of this Qasidah are the best example of a
beautiful finish. In the beginning of the Qasidah he states the
qualities and the excellent accomplishments of his beloved or the
reasons for his love, and at the end he mentions his everlasting love
for him. He ended his Qasidah in a manner illustrating that every
moment of his life was spent in the love of the Holy Prophetsa. He
was flying through the endless space of the world of love, which has
no boundaries.
AN ADMISSION
A FINAL WORD
O people who live upon the earth, and all those human souls
living in the east and the west, I invite you with my full power that
now the only true religion on earth is Islam, and the Only True
God is the God that the Qur’an has explained, and the prophet
with everlasting spiritual light and glory, and the one who sits on
the throne of purity, is Hadrat Muhammad, Mustafasa [the
200 The commentary of al-Qasidah
Chosen One], may peace and blessing of Allah be upon him. The
proof of his spiritual life and his sacred glory is that by following
him and loving him we can receive the Holy Spirit,
communication with our God, and can experience heavenly signs.
(Tiryaqul-Qulub, Ruhani Khaza’in, vol. 15, p. 141)
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Humbly,
Jalal-ud-Din Shams
Quetta, Pakistan
8 September 1956
1
Qasidah
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I wrote this Qasidah in November 1951 and it was published in Al-Fadl
(Special Jalsah Salanah Edition) and in al-Furqan (December, 1951
edition)
202 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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It is a priceless book, comprehensive and perfect,
with none like unto it.
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If you ponder and reflect upon its verses,
You will discover an ocean of evidence and
understanding.
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They had actually become like the cattle referenced in
Surah Furqan.
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After they received guidance, the blindness of their
hearts disappeared,
And they established justice and equality in a great
manner.
The commentary of al-Qasidah 205
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They took the water of revelation and cleaned the filth
of their idols, and their malice.
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In the daytime they fought with non-believers and
consumed their nights in seeking forgiveness from
Allah.
206 The commentary of al-Qasidah
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They purified themselves in such a way that their
hearts became like glittering stars.
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They toiled to receive God’s blessings to an
extent that no other group was capable.
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They embraced the Qur’an with such intensity that
Allah gave them glad tidings.
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Announcing that for them is forgiveness and reward
from Allah; they will receive all varieties of grace.
The commentary of al-Qasidah 207
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They followed the orders of their prophet, picked up the
Holy Qur’an and dispersed throughout the world as
doves fly everywhere.
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O my Lord, send Durud on Muhammadsa who is
superior and better than all creations, upon whom the
Qur’an was revealed.
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